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Why Witness?
With this blog, I hope to provide new insights, break down misconceptions, and spur thoughtful discussion on topics of religion, culture, politics and social justice. I write particularly on issues of comparative religion (between Islam and Christianity) and Islamophobia in post-9/11 America. I also write about my Catholic faith, American politics, journalism, and the Middle East.
The goal of a writer, a Christian, and a Muslim, is to be a witness to a greater Truth. Hence, the blog's title.
“You are my witness…and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He.” Isaiah 43:10, the Bible
“And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind.” Surat al-Baqara, the Qur'an
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Category Archives: Catholicism
Taxi Rides at Maghrib
After my first day at the university a few weeks ago, I jumped into a cab with a friend at dusk, stressed and tired from the long day. My mind was reeling with the new situation and setting, preoccupied with … Continue reading
Sunday nights in the Sacred Heart
Sunday night Mass is one of my favorite parts of my week at Georgetown. The 9:30pm service in Dahlgren of the Sacred Heart helps to slow me down, put my life in perspective, and notice God working in my life. … Continue reading
Attentiveness in Advent
Every year during Advent, the four-week season leading up to Christmas, Catholics hear passages from Scripture that remind us to be watchful and ready for the coming of Christ. These passages explain that we are not only awaiting the celebration … Continue reading
Around One Table
A few weeks ago, I co-organized and participated in Georgetown’s annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Service. Brought together by the Office of Campus Ministry and the student Interfaith Council, students representing different religious groups on campus gathered to share prayers, songs, … Continue reading
Learning from St. Jean de Brebeuf
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the North American Martyrs, a group of eight 17th-century Jesuits who were murdered during their missionary work among the Hurons. Though today–informed by pluralism and more open to religious diversity — we … Continue reading
9/11/11: A new American anniversary
In my most recent posts, I’ve discussed the terrorist attacks in Norway, offering quite a depressing analysis of their causes and implications, many of which are related to Islamophobia in America. Fear of Muslims existed in the American psyche before … Continue reading
Happy holidays!
To all of my fellow Catholics, Happy Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola! “Every good Christian ought to be more disposed to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it.” –St. Ignatius To all of my Muslim … Continue reading
My Best Friend is Muslim
I’ve heard statistics claiming that 62% of Americans have never met a Muslim. This number is sad, but unsurprising. If the majority of Americans knew a Muslim personally, the misinformation about Islam that is spewed from the mouths of talking … Continue reading
Easter Sunday: Praying with Mary Magdalene
In the purple light of the morning, sitting front of the empty, open tomb, Mary Magdalene weeps in the garden alone. ‘How could they have taken my Lord? Who did this?’ She pushes herself up off the rock, wiping under her … Continue reading
Holy Saturday: Praying with the Apostles
Holy Saturday is a day of waiting and anxiety. I imagine the apostles holed up in a small room in Jerusalem, waiting for the Roman soldiers to come arrest them. The authorities have already crucified Jesus, and the apostles expect … Continue reading
